Baking Soda Shop

Kerry Sims and Christen Sturkie—front-desk hosts at Eleven Madison Park who bonded over their love of baking— joined forces for this Hester Street Fair stall. Sims, an Institute of Culinary Education grad, reworks classic butter crunch ($8), imbuing the candy with a deeper cocoa flavor via two coats of dark Peruvian chocolate, while Sturkie turns out irresistibly chewy ginger snaps ($10), lightly sweetened with Plantation blackstrap molasses. You can buy both items by the piece, but we found it hard to stop after just one. Hester Street Fair, Hester St at Essex St (bakingsodashop.com). Sat 10am–6pm.

The White Moustache

The yogurt craze has made its way to Smorgasburg, thanks to former attorney Homa Dashtaki and her restaurateur father. Dashtaki produces two old-world dairy delights: a thick Greek style and a looser Iranian variety. We loved the tart Greek custard garnished with a drizzle of fragrant orange-blossom honey and finely crushed walnuts ($6). Smorgasburg, 90 Kent Ave at North 7th St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (thewhitemoustache.com). Sat 10am–6pm.

Ludlow Pizza

Following in the footsteps of Brooklyn Flea’s popular Moto, childhood friends and pizza obsessives Milo Mooser and Jamie West set up a wood-fired oven at the Hester Street Fair.The amateur dough-punchers fire kneaded-to-order rounds in a compact stone hearth for three minutes, producing a spotted, firm crust. Traditionalists can dig into the Margherita, but keep an eye out for creative specials—on a recent visit, we were smitten with the Sopressanti ($8), oozing mozzarella and piquant with spicy pepperoni and jalapeño honey. Hester Street Fair, Hester St at Essex St (ludlowpizzanyc.com). Sat 10am–6pm.

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East River Bread

Former Per Se baker Melissa Weller lends a fine-dining touch to the classic New York bagel. She swaps out a traditional yeast starter for sourdough, giving these rounds—first boiled, then baked—a tangy flavor and stronger chew. Weller’s everything bagel ($2)—studded with sesame, poppy, fennel and caraway seeds—is delicious on its own, but we recommend getting the works: thin slices of peppery house-made lox and a swipe of scallion-chive cream cheese from Battenkill Valley dairy ($8). Smorgasburg, 90 Kent Ave at North 7th St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (eastriverbread.com). Sat 10am–6pm.

NY Shuk

Weary of the instant couscous found in supermarkets, Ron and Leetal Arazi—a chef and a food photographer—took the flavors of their Middle Eastern heritage to Williamsburg. On Saturdays, find the husband-and-wife team stirring massive pots of fluffy hand-rolled semolina—the trick is to steam, not boil the grain—with hearty accompaniments such as short rib and spinach stewed in garlic, turmeric and green chilies ($9). Smorgasburg, 90 Kent Ave at North 7th St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (nyshuk.com). Sat 10am–6pm.

The Tuck Room - New York

This craft cocktail bar and restaurant in the Financial District is helmed by chef Sherry Yard, who has won not one, not two, but three James Beard Award throughout her career. But before we get to the food, why not order a drink? Cocktails include the Empire State of Mind Manhattan with rye, sweet vermouth, house-made maraschino cherries and chai bitters ($18) and the party-friendly Fulton House Punch with rhum agricole, cognac, apricot liqueur, banana liqueur, earl grey tea and fresh lemonade ($15 for a single, $55 for a pint bottle, $85 for a punch bowl). For dinner, you might want to start with the grilled avocado stuffed with shallot-avocado mousse, breadcrumbs, cojita cheese and finger lime pearls ($14) or the spicy-sweet pork belly wraps with nuoc cham caramel and fresno chile aioli ($18). Entrees include a brisket, short rib and chuck burger with bone marrow aioli and candied bacon ($24), crispy chicken schnitzel ($24) and hoisin-sesame glazed duck in a ginger-carrot bun ($28).